NBA: Celts’ Perkins fined $10K

Kendrick Perkins was fined $10,000 by the NBA for a flagrant foul on Detroit’s Jason Maxiell that led to the Celtics forward to be ejected on Friday night.

Perkins said he would not appeal.

“I think it’s right. I think justice was served,” he said. “I can pay that fine.”

NCAA: FSU receiver charged with DUI

Florida State receiver Preston Parker has been released from jail after posting a $500 bond.

Parker was arrested early Saturday and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Tallahassee police arrested the 21-year-old after officers found him passed out in his car in a McDonald’s drive-thru lane.

He was released from the Leon County jail Saturday evening. Jail records did not show any attorney listed for Parker.

* Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith confirmed the Buckeyes’ athletic department will lose money during the fiscal year ending June 30.

Smith says revenues are down between $300,000 and $500,000 this year for the winning men’s basketball team. He did not know how much the department is expected to lose in total.

To offset the loss, Smith said ticket prices for football and men’s basketball would be raised by $1, except for students’ tickets.

GOLF: Ballesteros remains upbeat

Seve Ballesteros’ brother says the Spanish golfing great remains upbeat and his recuperation after brain surgery is going well.

Baldomero Ballesteros made the comments yesterday when he accepted the province of Cantabria’s gold medal for his 51-year-old brother, a five-time major champion who is undergoing a second round of chemotherapy following four operations on a cancerous brain tumor.

Baldomero Ballesteros said the recovery would be a lengthy process.

“It’s difficult, but he’s doing exercises every day and the doctors are truly surprised,” he was quoted as saying by Spanish media.

SOCCER: Liverpool’s title hopes still alive

In London, Fernando Torres scored twice in the last two minutes to revive Liverpool’s Premier League title hopes with a 2-0 victory over Chelsea, cutting Manchester United’s lead to two points.

The game appeared to be headed for a draw when Torres glanced home a cross by Fabio Aurelio in the 89th minute. His second a minute later was a tap-in after Chelsea defender Ashley Cole had lost the ball inside his own area.

ETC.: ESPN sets hiring freeze

Officials at Connecticut-based ESPN say the sports broadcasting network will institute a long-term hiring freeze, cut 200 open jobs and reorganize its work force.

ESPN President George Bodenheimer told employees this week that ESPN had a good year in 2008, but must do more to ensure its stability and growth as major advertisers struggle with the bad economy.

* Teddy Mayer, who helped build McLaren into a Formula One powerhouse, has died. He was 73. McLaren team principal Ron Dennis said Mayer, an American who had lived in England for several years, died on Friday.